PCA AGM sets new goals

Parkdale citizens, members of the PCA Board and both current and aspiring members of city council joined the PCA Executive at Parkdale’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 13. Key items on the agenda included a summary of the year’s events by President Darcy Morgan, a financial update and budget motions from Treasurer Paul Neave and updates by members of the board regarding their respective portfolios.

After opening words from Alderman Druh Farrell in which she noted the PCA’s fiscal turnaround, she signaled that the community had the opportunity for a fresh start following years of legal and fiscal challenges. Farrell also threw her support behind the recent initiatives by the PCA Board and Planning and Development Committee to prevent the construction of a new parkade by Alberta Health Services upon the environmentally sensitive escarpment north of Parkdale.

After Alderman Farrell conceded the floor, Morgan delivered an update of the key initiatives and ongoing projects the PCA had focused on in the last year, including our ongoing and extremely successful Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, record rentals and soccer registrations, a spike in PCA memberships and the development of the PCA’s own web presence at parkdalecommunity.com.

“All of the initiatives launched by the PCA are about creating a place to gather and exchange ideas and make friends here in Parkdale,” said Morgan. “Through our community partners, the hard work of members of our Board, many volunteer hours and in particular the commitment of the PCA’s full-time employee Bill Biccum and part-time employee Danette Williams, the PCA is in a stronger place than it has been in many years.”

Treasurer Paul Neave introduced the first balanced budget in many years at the PCA.

Following his address, the collected members paused for a moment of silence to honour former members of the PCA who gave many years of their time to the organization, including former president Bernie Novokowsky.
As Morgan left the lectern, he passed the mic to PCA Treasurer Paul Neave, who provided highlights of the 2012 fiscal year’s audited financial statements, noting that the PCA was fiscally solvent and passed a balanced budget for the first time in many years. After presenting a motion to the assembled Parkdale residents, the financial statements were approved unanimously, as was the nomination of the Board itself.

The final component of the AGM focused on reports from volunteers, employees and Board Members on their respective portfolios. Highlights included a call for Casino Night volunteers by Marnie Schmidt, a proposal for distributed event management support and multiple events throughout the year by Tanya Massey, an update and goals for the Farmer’s Market from Steve Lemp and the introduction of new Board member Audrey Smith, who is spearheading the new community garden initiative.

Wrapping up the AGM was an information session and Q&A delivered by Planning and Development Committee Chair Judy Hoad regarding the ongoing situation regarding the new AHS parkade. Hoad noted that the Request For Proposal had gone out from AHS, but that the RFP had been adjusted to include an assessment to determine where a new parkade would best be situated on the site, and noted that the P&D Committee and members of the South Shaganappi Communities Strategic Planning Group are continuting to engage with AHS to help facilitate the development of a new master plan for the Foothills Medical Centre, on the premise that the parkade will not be built on the escarpment.

Following the session, Morgan noted the engagement and dialogue during the meeting. “It is these kinds of conversations that build our community and create the bonds that cement us together. It’s a special thing that goes with being a very special community.”